1. Field of the Invention
The present invention primarily concerns a method for production of a dihydrochalcone, especially of phloretin, or a method for reduction of flavanones using a transgenic microorganism, containing a nucleic acid section (a), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial chalcone isomerase, and/or a nucleic acid section (a′), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a plant chalcone isomerase, and a nucleic acid section (b), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial enoate reductase.
2. Description of Related Art
Dihydrochalcones, especially phloretin, are normally produced either by chemical reduction of chalcones or by Friedel-Crafts acylation of phenols with dihydrocinammic acids. The disadvantage of this method is that food additives, flavourings or aromatic substances produced in this way cannot be described as natural. In addition, dihydrochalcones, especially phloretin, can be obtained by extraction of for example the corresponding glycoside (E. g. from Malus spp. raw materials) with subsequent generation of the aglycone. This process is time-consuming and cost-intensive, however, and is also dependent on the season.
Important flavourings and aromatic substances with a dihydrochalcone structure are for example phloretin (E. g. according EP 1,998,636-B1), phloridzin, trilobtain (see Tanaka, T.; Yamasaki, K.; Kohda, H.; Tanaka, O.; Mahato, S. B., Dihydrochalcone-glucosides as sweet principles of Symplocos ssp. Planta Medica 1980, (Suppl.), 81-83), naringin dihydrochalcone and neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (Crosby, G. A., New Sweeteners. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 1976, (June), 297-323).
Due to the existing and also the future need for advantageous dihydrochalcones, especially for phloretin, the primary problem for the present invention was to provide an efficient and preferably cost-effective that can be used on an industrial scale for producing dihydrochalcones, especially phloretin.
A further problem was to provide suitable or necessary means for performing such a method.
Further problems for the present invention are apparent from the following description and especially the attached claims.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.
Further aspects of the present invention and preferred configurations thereof can be seen from the following description, the exemplary embodiments and the claims.